The latest scam targeting older consumers is particularly cruel, because it homes in on people who already have lost money in previous fraudulent schemes.

So-called asset-recovery firms target people who have lost money in another type of fraud — often, a bogus work-at-home scheme or a fake time share investment, according to an advisory issued this week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The firm promises the victims that it can recover much of the lost money, for a hefty upfront fee. But after taking the payment, the firm does little — or takes steps that the consumers could do on their own at no cost.